I think I'll write for the paper. The written word will be such a wonderful medium for expression. Writing will force me to shake myself out of the ills of apathy.
I'll boldly proclaim the merits of idealism, while warning against the dangers of naivete! I'll contribute a voice to my generation; I'll take a brave, new approach to improving the human condition!
I'll provoke thought and catalyze solutions to the problems of our society, and I'll present a different, optimistic perspective! Writing a column will imply social responsibility and demonstrate a firm commitment to convictions.
And, at the same time, writing will prevent me from becoming a passive observer of global decline. I will write! I'll advocate compassion and condemn cynicism.
But about what will I write?
What topic will allow me to express myself? What subject will allow me to incorporate all of this nobility in just a few paragraphs? What will people like? I want to make a difference, but I don't want to make a lot of enemies.
I don't want to be the object of scorn and ridicule. I want to instigate conversation and healthy debate, while earning respect and approval. So what do I write about?
How about leaves and forests? Sure, it sounds a little random, but give me a minute. It seems to me that the righteous student and the enlightened citizen are always concerned with the forest.
The leaves, branches and trees are all important, but a wise eye is always kept on the bigger picture. Perhaps the Dartmouth experience, and indeed the larger, earth experience would benefit from the leaf-forest perspective.
Consider our government for example. Petty political differences are merely leaves, while the state of the nation is the forest. Rush Limbaugh and others, I hope you were paying attention. Think about education.
Thinking men and women make up the forest; grades are only leaves. No ... let's make grades poison ivy. Contemplate religion. Spirituality is the forest. Specific denominations are a few of the trees.
We live in an age of leaf-thinking. Nuclear bombs, over-stuffed landfills, global warming, trillion dollar deficits, junk bonds and international conflict are but a few results of a narrow focus on the leaf. Let's try considering the rest of the forest.
It is true that forest thoughts must be accompanied by leaf actions. The environmental slogan "Think globally, act locally" applies to much more than the environment.
Hopefully, our prestigious institutions of higher learning will cultivate plenty of forest thinkers. Such men and women would be well-armed to fix the ills of the world.
